The Minority Ethnic Carers of Older People Project (MECOPP) is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for all employees, Management Committee members, volunteers and those who use its services.

We recognise that particular groups and individuals face discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, age, class, marital status, sexuality, HIV status, trade union activity and political beliefs.

MECOPP is committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination and in working proactively to ensure equal access to employment and all forms of service provision/delivery.

MECOPP is committed to ensuring that the organisation and its structures reflect the diversity of the communities that it serves.

The policy will be monitored and reviewed on a regular basis to ensure its effective implementation. All complaints of discrimination will be taken seriously and investigated fully by the Management Committee.   

APPLICABILITY OF POLICY:

This policy applies to:

All Members of the Management Committee

All staff employed by MECOPP irrespective of the funding agency

All volunteers associated with the organization

All aspects of service delivery/provision undertaken by the organisation as determined by the Management Committee

IMPLEMENTATION:

MECOPP will ensure that:

• The policy is widely publicised and distributed to all employees,volunteers, Management Committee members, job applicants and where appropriate, service users.

• In-service training will be provided and undertaken by all staff, volunteers and Management Committee members to combat racial and sexual harassment in the workplace.

• Appropriate equal opportunities and anti racist training is provided and undertaken by all staff, volunteers and Management Committee members.

• Procedures and practices will reflect the cultural and religious needs of its employees, volunteers and Management Committee members.

•  It facilitates, as far as possible, any training as identified by the employee to combat his/her disability; and as far as possible, office premises are suitably adapted to meet the needs of disabled employees, volunteers, Management     Committee members and service users.

• MECOPP will monitor and keep under review its procedures and practices to assess the impact of the policy in the following areas.

• All stages of the recruitment and selection process irrespective of the status of the position being advertised be it fulltime, part time or voluntary, paid or unpaid;

• Wording, images, general presentation and media used for the purpose of advertising;

• Response to advertising in all spheres of the organisation's activities;

• Access to and uptake of training opportunities amongst employee's, Management Committee members and volunteers;

• Termination of employment and reasons for leaving; and in all aspects of service delivery/provision.

To ensure effective implementation, MECOPP will promote and facilitate the following measures:

IN THE FIELD OF EMPLOYMENT:

Training for all employees and Management Committee members involved in the selection and recruitment of staff, to cover:

• interview techniques

• codes of practice

• disciplinary and grievance procedures

• compliance with the conditions of grant aid

IN RELATION TO SERVICE DELIVERY:

• appropriate training for all staff

• appropriate and accessible information for all service users

• ensuring that the composition of the Management Committee and  other organisational structures are representative of the community they serve

POLICY REVIEW

MECOPP will ensure that:  the effectiveness of the policy is monitored and reviewed on an annual basis and any necessary changes, as a result of the monitoring process are submitted at the Annual General Meeting for approval and inclusion